Adhesive bandage



Nov. 7, 1961 A. M. MARINARO ADHESIVE BANDAGE Filed May 2, 1956 Illlll "1A y J IIIIIIIIIIIIHIUH ZZ /4 j 526 Z/ TTOR United States Patent O3,007,571 ADHESIVE BANDAGE Armand M. Marinaro, Milltown, NJ., assgnor toJohnson & Johnson, a corporation of New Jersey Filed May 2, 1956, Ser.No. 582,174 2 Claims. (Cl. 206-6'3.2)

The present invention relates to individually packaged adhesive bandageunits of the type, in which each unit comprises and adhesive bandage anda wrapper therefor. The adhesive bandage has a flexible lbacking coatedwith a pressure-sensitive adhesive composition and may consist of asimple strip of adhesive tape or may be of the dressing type, in whichan abs-orbent compress or pad is atlixed to the flexible adhesivelycoated backing to expose the adhesive on the parts of the backing beyondthe pad. An adhesive bandage of this dressing type may take the form,for example, of a strip, patch, spot or so-called middle wound bandage.

The usual adhesive bandage of the general type described, has itsexposed adhesive surface and its pad or compress, if such pad isprovided, protected by a facing sheet member or members, and such abandage is sterile and is packaged individually in ysuch a manner, thatsterility is maintained until the package is opened. For that purpose,the bandage protectively faced as described, is enclosed in an envelopeor wrapper. Before such a bandage can be applied to an injured part ofthe skin, it is necessary t-o remove the wrapper and then the facingmember or lmembers therefrom, in case such facing members are separateyfrom the wrapper.

The present inventionis adapted for, although not restricted to, use inindividually packaged adhesive bandages of the type, in which the facing-member or 4members serve not only the function of directly protectingthe ex posed parts of the adhesive surface but also as part of theindividual Wrapper for the bandage either as a lamina or coatingtherefor, or as lan integral part thereof and has among its objects toprovide a newv and improved bandage especially of this type, which isdesigned to ensure economy of material and easey of manufacture, whichis constructed to permit removal ofthe combined wrapper and adhesiveprotection or facing and simultaneous withdrawal of the adhesive`bandage by a simple .balanced peeling operation Without distorting thebandage or curling it out ofv shape, which is designed to-permit removalof the adhesive facing .and the simultaneous withdrawal of the adhesivebandage without the fingers coming into contact with the pad or compressor with lthe adhesive surface, which can be conveniently handled forapplication to the injured skin after at least part of the Wrapper hasbeen removed without the fingers coming into contact with'the pady orcompress or with the adhesive surface, which has no projectingbulges,aps or parts, and, therefore, lends itself easily and compactly tostorage in -a container as part of a pack, and which affords the maximumprotection of the adhesive bandage against contamination during storagewith minimum of wrapper material. i

Various other objects of the invention are apparent from the followingdescription and from the -accompanying drawings, in which: t

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FIG. 5 is a perspective showing the adhesive bandage package unit of thepresent invention in the process of being opened to withdraw theadhesive bandage from the wrapper therefrom; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective of the adhesive bandage incorporated into thepackage unit embodying the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, the invention is shown therein applied to anadhesive bandage package unit of the elongated strip type having anabsorbent compress or pad and exposed adhesive surfaces, although as faras certain aspects of the invention are concerned, it may be applied toother types of adhesive bandages, as will be described more fullyhereinafter. The package unit illustrated comprises essentially anadhesive bandage 10 and an expendable wrapper 11 of flexible material.The adhesive bandage 10 comprises a .strip 12 of adhesive tape backingmaterial, which may be either woven material, or non-woven material,such as extensible polyvinyl chloride film, and which may have the usualventilation holes. Deposited on the strip 12 is a layer 13 ofpressure-sensitive adhesive, which affords the necessary degree ofadhesion for the attachment of the dressing thereto. A dressing pad 14composed preferably of suitably folded woven or non-woven fabric, paperor other absorbent material, is placed on and secured to the strip 12 bythe adhesive layer 13 thereon. This dressing pad 14 is slightly narrowerthan the adhesive strip 12 and much shorter and is centered on theadhesive strip to form exposed tape end sections 16 and 17 of adhesivebeyond the ends of the p pad.

The wrapper 11 individually packages the adhesive bandage 10, so thatafter sterilization, said bandage will remain sterile. This wrapper 11desirably comprises a sheet 20 for the back Iface of the adhesivebandage 10 and a pair of shorter similar sheets 21 and 22 for the frontface of the adhesive bandage, the sheets being joined together to forman envelope for the adhesive bandage and the front sheets 21 and 22having free end sections 23 and 24 respectively, passing by each otherand extending Hat against the adhesive band-age in overlappingrelationship near the center of the package unit to form an outer lapanda concealed inner lap, the opening between said free end wrappersections or laps being closed by a transverse seam or seal 25, as willbe described more fully hereinafter. Y

"The specific materials from which the different components of theadhesive bandage package unit are made are preferably those described inthe U.S. Patent No. 2,708,083. This patent discloses a facing member,which serves as protection for the adhesive surface of the bandage andwhich is smooth and continuous and constituted FIG. l is the front faceview of the adhesive bandage l package unit embodying the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is the rear face view of the adhesive bandage package unitembodying the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section of the adhesive bandy j of organicmaterial substantially inert with respect to the adhesive. This type offacing member serves to develop substantially the full sticking powersof the adhesive to which it is protectively applied. Materials proposedfor that purpose in lthe aforesaid patent are vinyl chloride resins andcopolymers thereof with vinyl acetate and vinylidene chloride, celluloseacetate, cellophane, epoxy resins, and many others and also resins whichmay be employed as coatings. These materials are also suitable to formfor the purpose of the present invention the'wrapper sheets 120, 21 and22, with the sheets l21 and 22 juxtaposed to the adhesive side of theadhesive bandage 10 to serve also as protective facing members therefor.In the specific form shown, thevvrapper sheets 20, 21 and 22 desirablyconsist of heat-scalable sterilizable material and preferablypolyethylene, such as Marlex 50 and Irrathene 101.

The back wrapper sheet 20 lies flat against the nonadhesive back of theadhesive bandage 10 and is shaped, dimensioned and positioned inrelation to the adhesive bandage to define seam forming side marginsprojecting beyond the corresponding sides of the adhesive bandage andseam forming end margins projecting beyond the corresponding ends of theadhesive bandage. The front overlapping wrapper sheets 21 and 22 areshaped, dimensioned and positioned in relation to the adhesive bandageto define seam forming side marginsA projecting beyond the correspondingsides of the adhesive bandage and to form seam forming end marginsrespectively projecting beyond the corresponding ends of the adhesivebandage.

The two wrapper sheets 20 and 21 -at their projecting margins cometogether face to face and are secured together by heat-sealing or byadhesive according to the nature of the wrapper material, to form sideseams 26 and an end seam 27. In the case of polyethylene, which is thematerial mentioned as suitable for the wrapper, heat-sealing would beemployed to produce the seams 26 and 27. Whether heat-sealing oradhesive is employed, these are strong enough to seal effectively theinterior of the wrapper against contamination but are weak enough topermit the side seams 26 to open up by a neat peeling operation, Withouttearing the wrapper sheet 21, when the wrapper sheet 21 is pulled awayfrom the wrapper sheet 20 in the process of opening the wrapper toremove the adhesive bandage 10 therefrom.

The two wrapper sheets 20 and 22 at their projecting margins similarlycome face to face and are similarly secured together by heat-sealing orby adhesive according to the nature of the wrapper material and in amanner `described in connection with the wrapper sheets 20 and 21, toform side seams 28 and end lseam 29.

The two front wrapper sheets 21 and 22 overlap in the center of thepackage unit fiat against the adhesive bandage 10, the end section of4the wrapper sheet 22 being shown forming the outer lap. To assurecomplete sealing of the wrapper 10 and -at the same time to assure themaintenance of the overlapping end sections of the wrapper sheets 21 and22 at against the adhesive bandage 10, these overlapping sections laresecured together transversely by the seam 25, which may be constructedby heat-sealing or adhesive according to the nature of the wrappermaterial, and which is strong enough to seal but weak enough to beopened without tearing upon pull ing of the outer lap of the seam. Thistransverse seam 25 meets and merges into the side seams 26 and 28 and isspaced inwardly from the overlapping ends of the wrapper sheets 21 land22. With this construction, the overlapping end sections 23 and 24 ofthe wrapper sheets 21 and 22 respectively beyond the transverse seam 25serve as finger tabs, by which the wrapper 11 may be opened to permitwithdrawal of the adhesive bandage `10 therefrom.

The sheets 21 and 22 are in adhesive contact with the adhesive bandageend sections 16 and 17 either directly or through a suitable innercoating or lamina of the type described, to serve not only as wrappersheets but also as facing sheets for the adhesive bandage. In casepolyethylene is employed as the wrapper material, the wrapper sheets 21and 22 need no smooth coating or lamina but directly contact theadhesive end sections 16 and 17 of the bandage to serve as facing sheetstherefor.

The three wrapper sheets 20, 21 and 22 are described and shown asconstituting three separate sheets joined at the ends to form the endseams 27 and 29. However, as far as certain aspects of the invention areconcerned, the three wrapper sheets 20, 21 and 22 may constitute asingle piece of material folded near the ends of the adhesive bandageI10 to form the three sheets or panels arranged in the manner describedand joined together by the side beams 2-6 and 28 and the transverse seam25.

It should be noted that the package unit described s flat and free frombulges except those due to the pad 14, since the end flap sections 23and 24 of the wrapper shee-ts 21 and 22 lie flat against the adhesivebandage 10. The simplicity of this construction makes manufacturecomparatively easy and inexpensive and produces a urut which can beclosely packed in stacks in a container occupying minimum of space.Moreover, there :are two overlapping layers of wrapping material overthe pad 14, which requires the most protection against contamination,thereby assuring greater sterility of the package unit.

For opening the wrapper 11 to yield the adhesive bandage 10 therein, thefingers of one hand grasp and hold one end of the package unit, whilethe fingers of the other hand grasp the end fiap section 24 of thewrapper sheet 22 and pull on said end section until the transverse seam25 is peeled open. Continued pull on the end ap section 24 of thewrapper sheet 22 breaks open the side seams 28 progressively towards theend seam 29 and this is continued beyond the end flap section 23 of thewrapper sheet 21 to expose fully said end ap section 23. At this stage,the fingers of the `two hands grasp the two end ap sections 23 and 24 ofthe wrapper sheets 21 and 22 respectively and pullthereon in oppositedirections, to break open the side seams 26 and 28 neatly withouttearing, to peel the wrapper sheets 21 and 22 away from the end adhesivesections 16 and 17 of the adhesive bandage 10, and to expose therebyprogressively the adhesive bandage 10, as shown in FIG. 5. The pulls onthe wrapper sheets 21 and 22 in the manner described are balanced andthe wrapper 11, although flexible, has sufficient rigidity to preventcurlback of the adhesive bandage 10 as it it progressively exposed.

When a substantial portion of the adhesive'bandage 10 has been exposedby the manipulations described, the bandage may be applied to theaffected skin or surface, while the fingers of the two hands still holdthe end tab sections 23 and 24 of the wrapper sheets 21 and 22, and thepulls on said tab sections are continued to complete the removal of thewrapper sheets 21 and 22, whereupon the back wrapper sheet 20 may belifted off the adhesive lbandage and the application of the adhesivebandage to the affected skin or surface completed.

It is seen, therefore, that the package unit constructed as described,can be expeditiously opened without curling the adhesive bandage 10 andwithout the fingers coming into contact with the adhesive side of thebandage, :and the bandage can be applied to the affected skin or surfacewithout the fingers coming into contact with the adhesive side of thebandage.

The invention has been shown applied to a form of adhesive bandagecontaining an elongated rectangular strip of adhesive to which isaffixed an absorbent rectangular pad or compress. -However, as far ascertain aspects of the invention are concerned, the invention may beapplied to adhesive bandages of other shapes. For example, it can beapplied to a so-called patch type of adhesive bandage, in which a squarepiece of backing material coated with adhesive has a square absorbentpad in the center or to a so-called spot type of adhesive bandage inwhich a round piece of backing material coated with adhesive has a roundabsorbent pad in the center, or to a so-called middle wound type ofbandage in which a comparatively large piece of gauze in the form of apad has connected thereacross one or more strips of adhesive tapeprojecting beyond the gauze.

Also, as far as certain aspects of the invention are concerned, theadhesive bandage protected and wrapped in accordance with the presentinvention may consist simply of a piece of adhesive tape without anabsorbent pad, such as the pad 16.

While the invention has been described with particular reference tospecific embodiments, it is to be understood that it is not to belimited thereto, but is to be construed broadly and restricted solely bythe scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An adhesive bandage package unit comprising an adhesive bandagehaving an adhesive surface on one face thereof and a wrapper therefor,including a sheet extending along the other face thereof and two flatsheets extending along the adhesive face `of the adhesive bandage indirect contact therewith and forming facing sheets therefor, each ofsaid two sheets being of substantially equal size and shape and beingconnected at one end to the corresponding end of the inst-mentionedsheet, all of said sheets having side margins projecting beyond thecorresponding sides of the 'adhesive bandage, the projecting sidemargins of the two sheets being in face Contact with the projecting sidemargins of the first-mentioned sheet and being connected thereto bysealing means to form seams along the sides of the wrapper and to shapesaid wrapper in the form of an envelope, the inner end Isections of saidtwo sheets opposite said connected ends respectively passing by eachother and overlapping iat against said one face of the bandage in thecenter section of the bandage to dene an outer lap and an inner lap,said sealing means being strong enough to prevent contamination throughthe seams formed thereby but weak enough to permit the projectingmargins connected together by said sealing means to peel apart upon thepulling of said end wrapper sections in opposite directions, saidoverlapping end wrapper sections defining therebetween an opening closedby a breakable transverse seam formed between said end wrapper sectionsand connecting into the side seams of the wrapper, said outer and innerlaps being of substantial lengths to extend over a substantial portionof the center section of the bandage and said transverse seam beinglocated intermediate the inner ends of said two sheet sections and beingspaced substantially equidistant therefrom, the inner end sections ofsaid two sheets ,beyond said transverse seam defining finger tabs bywhich References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSFreiberger June 29, 1954 Banff Oct. 25, 1955

